Because users are often unpredictable, admins like to restrict how much control and access they have on their devices. However, when deploying a new set of devices, the significant question of “How much control or freedom should we give the users?” doesn’t seem to get enough consideration. For some network administrators, and for some end users, this question may seem to have a simple answer, but once you’re considering hundreds of different devices, and/or hundreds of different users, it becomes a big, complex conundrum. It is a matter of serious consequence for your system and network security, as well as device usability and user satisfaction.

So, for most of this year, I’ve had an iPad on loan from the House, so that I could share in the iPad experience, and better support them. Now that the year, and my traineeship, is nearly over, I have to hand it back and I’m left with a few questions: Was the iPad actually any good? Did I actually use it? Am I going to miss it? Do I want to buy one, now that I’m not going to have this one anymore? Continue Reading

So, the week before last Apple released its new iPhone, along with an update to its IOS operating system. On the same day, Mr Chief finally, after months of trial and error, worked out how to get Apple Push Notifications to work from within the House’s network. And now, I’m going to give you the information he would have loved to have had at the start of all this trouble. Continue Reading

So, the title of this post isn’t exactly accurate, but it does tell some of the truth and I can see it’s drawn you in. I don’t have a fool-proof way of causing an iPad to crash. This is more of a list of problems that I’ve encountered with iPads over the last 4 or so months, including a few things that can cause them to crash.

When Mr Chief spoke at the meeting when the iPads were first given out, one of the things that he emphasised is that “you can’t break the iPad’s software.” He said this in the hope of encouraging those who are unsure about how to do things to have a go, and see if they can work it out for themselves rather than bug us about it or complain that it doesn’t work. Despite his good intentions, he’s not entirely accurate. iPads are like any other device; they’re not perfect.